A/N: I have a confession to make. I don't like Oreos, never have. It's the white stuff it just tastes bitter to me, and the aftertaste and texture, just all bad. :-p
"Mikey are you sure about this?" Leonardo asked skeptically.
"Sure I'm sure. I called ahead, talked to the guy, we won't see anyone if we show up late enough. All we have to do is sign in and leave cash."
"I don't know. We'll be awfully exposed."
"Aw, come on Leo. It'll be nice not to sleep in the back of the truck for a change." Michelangelo could see that he was wearing his cautious brother down. He really wanted this experience, and he didn't see it as coming along again in the near future. "The proprietor is blind, so he can't see us even if he wanted too and he said he hasn't had a guest in a couple of weeks. What's the worst that could happen? Besides we'll be out of town and back on the road again in a couple days, or even tomorrow if we choose. They'll never see us again."
Donatello looked up from the brochure in his hands. "What's this about a chore? What kind of chore?" It wasn't that he minded doing a chore, but a thousand horrible scenarios of people seeing them were flashing through his head.
"Nothing major," Mikey insisted. "Just things like sweeping the floor and stuff. Real quick, takes five minutes. We get up do them before anyone else wakes, that is if anyone else shows at all and we get out."
"Seems you have this all planned." Raph observed sourly, he didn't think this was a good idea at all.
"I do. Come on guys, it'll be fun."
Michelangelo received three unconvinced looks in return, but eventually Don and Leo conceded. Quick application of puppy dog eyes brought Raph into the fold. Although Raphael would never admit it, Mikey's puppy dog eyes repeatedly made him cave. All too often he wound up regretting it.
It was well after dark when Raphael pulled the Battle Shell into the driveway. Mikey's research into this place revealed that the owner went to bed at 9:00 most nights leaving a clipboard and envelope for new guests to sign in on and pay as well as a chore list for expected guests to do in the mornings. Don glanced quickly over the chore list and stifled a laugh when he realized that Raph was not going to be happy with what he had been assigned. They signed in and put their 40 payment into the envelope. Knowing they would have to rise early in the morning they headed off to bed.
Four bunks were crowded into the small space and one of them had no ladder to the top bunk. Being the last one in the room Leo was stuck with the special bed. Raph and Mikey had claimed the bottom beds and Don had claimed the one with a ladder. Leonardo sighed and climbed Don's ladder and jumped across to the other bed. Donatello's bunk shook so hard that it nearly spilled both turtles to the floor. Leo hadn't noticed the shoddy construction before he made his jump and nearly fell short of his equally wobbly target.
"Yeah, maybe I should have warned you about that." Don commented coolly of the poorly assembled bed.
Raph and Mikey were laughing at their brother's misfortune from the safety of the bottom beds.
"You think this is funny?" Leo demanded.
"Yes indeedy, we do think it's funny!" Mikey howled.
"Think of it this way Leo." Don suggested. "If these fall down, and it looks like that could be a real possibility, you and I will land on top of a nice mattress while those two get buried." Donnie grinned evilly down at Michelangelo who was looking worriedly up at Leo's bed directly above him. "Sleep well guys!" Don sniggered as he rolled over carefully. He was trying to move as little as possible, because even though he might joke about it, he didn't want the bed collapsing.
Leonardo had no idea that Michelangelo was such a restless sleeper. Every time his brother so much as twitched Leo knew about it. He could hear other set of bunks creaking too and wondered who was causing the ruckus over there. Glancing over he noticed Raphael moving around on the bottom bunk apparently asleep. Leo sighed and was just about to turn over and try to go back to sleep before Mikey moved again when he noticed Don looking at him.
"Can't sleep either, huh," Don whispered. He was a little surprised since Leo usually slept like a log, but maybe it was the strange surroundings that were keeping him alert.
"Nope, I'm seriously considering going back out to the Battle Shell."
"Mikey would be disappointed." Don commented off-hand.
"Yeah, I know." Leo could hear the longing in Don's voice. Seemed his brother was just as ready to go out to the rig as he was. Leo shifted slightly to a more comfortable position and closed his eyes one more time.
"Hey, Hey, Hey Sleepy Heads!" Mikey called out as he leapt from his bed pounced onto Raphael's and nearly shook Don from his. As it was Leonardo was tossed from his bunk and landed on the floor with a crash.
"Mikey, what time is it?" Leo muttered from the floor.
"It, Dear Brother, is time to get up!"
Donatello had crawled down from his bed by this time and was pulling on the pants Casey had found for him. At least it's not the stupid white street wear. He thought as he pulled on the khaki colored pants. "Why are you so chipper this morning?" Don asked.
"Because now we get to explore this place a little!" Mikey all but shouted.
"Shush, Mikey, it's too early for this." Raphael muttered. He had his gray pants on and was pulling a solid red fleece over his head. He glared at his boisterous brother who, in his black pants and bright orange fleece, looked like a traffic pylon.
"What?" Mike asked, noticing the look he received from his brother.
Raphael shook his head. "Nothing, absolutely nothing." He left to find the bathroom.
"What's the matter, Don? Did you lose something?" Leo asked. He had khaki on the bottom and blue on top
Donatello continued to dig through his bag. He knew he had a fleece, but it must have gotten down to the very bottom. Finally finding the object he was searching for and pulled the black fleece from the bag.
"Hey, how come yours is black?" Mikey asked. "We all have our colors."
"I don't know. Casey got them remember? Who ever knows what's going on in his head?" Don absently turned the fleece around and pulled it on.
"I know why Casey got you that one." Leo said with a knowing smile.
"Huh?" Donatello looked down and spotted the small blue circle on the left chest: the NASA vector logo.
"Oh you have GOT to be KIDDING me!" Raph's voice echoed through the hostel.
"Shh… Raph, what are you trying to do? Wake everyone up?" Don said, poking his head into the bathroom where Raphael had been assigned to do his chores.
"What everyone? There's no one here."
"The proprietor is here. And probably still in bed." Don reminded him quietly. He leaned the broom he had been using to sweep the cobwebs from the ceiling against the door. "So, what exactly is the problem?"
"That." Raph indicated the container of Comet and the two sponges. The smaller sponge sat near the sink.
Don was beginning to see the problem. "So uh? What's your job again?" He was beginning to lose the battle with the giggles.
"Clean the sink and the toilet." Raph informed darkly. He could tell Don was fighting for his composure.
"Have you cleaned the sink?" Don forced out, careful to keep the laughter at bay.
"Yes, I cleaned the sink. I have no problem with cleaning the sink." Raph growled.
"You've cleaned the toilet at home without complaint, and we do live in the sewers so…" Don had to swallow a laugh, "So, uh, what's the problem now?" He was pushing Raph's buttons, he knew it, but this was just too much.
"The problem, brainiac, is that even we have a handle on the toilet bowl scrubber. The bozo gave me a SPONGE!" Raph made a move to pick it up so he could throw it.
"I thought you didn't want to touch it. After all, it is the toilet scrubber." Raphael was glaring at him, and Don knew he had to think fast. "Know what Raph? I saw a drawer filled with rubber bands, give me two minutes, ok?" He slipped out of the room before giving Raphael a chance to answer.
When Donatello returned he had two rubber bands, a two foot long stick and a plastic bag.
"What are you doing?" Raphael asked.
"Watch and learn Raphy!" Don pulled the plastic bag onto his left hand and picked up the sponge. He wrapped it around one end of the stick and secured it using the rubber bands. He peeled off the bag and handed the 'new' toilet bowl scrubber to his brother. "Here you are. Have fun." Don peeled the plastic bag off his hand and dropped it in the trash. He washed his hands, in Raph's newly clean sink, then grabbed the broom and went back to sweeping the ceiling.
Half an hour later they were packed up and back in the Battle Shell with Don at the wheel.
"So what'd you think?" Mikey asked excitedly. "Wasn't that great? Can we stay again tonight?"
"Forget it, Mikey!" Three turtles exclaimed in unison.